Rangers notes: Yu Darvish would sightsee, not pitch, if he’s selected to All-Star team

Yu Darvish has no intentions to try and pitch on one days’ rest if he’s selected to the American League All-Star team for a third consecutive year.

If the Rangers’ rotation holds, Darvish is in line to pitch the Sunday, July 13, before the All-Star break and shook his head to emphasize his point.

“If I were to get selected, I think I’m going to go sightseeing,” Darvish said, drawing a few laughs from reporters gathered around Thursday afternoon.

The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis, so maybe Darvish is already planning a trip to the Mall of America. Pitchers who throw on the Sunday before have the option of either pitching in the game or sitting out and being replaced by a fresh arm.

Either way, Darvish appears to have strong credentials to be selected again. He is 7-4 with a 2.62 ERA with 118 strikeouts over his first 14 starts, including a complete-game shutout.

Darvish has gone to the mid-summer classic his first two seasons, but has yet to pitch. He won the final vote as a rookie and served as the “last man” on that team, and was on the disabled list during last year’s game.

Scheppers season over?

Tanner Scheppers acknowledged the possibility that he won’t pitch again this season. He was eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday, but won’t even be cleared to begin throwing for at least another month.

Scheppers is on the DL for the second time this season with right elbow inflammation and the team is taking a cautious approach with the 27-year-old right-hander.

“I want to get back as soon as possible, but at the same time, sometimes you have to take a step back and look at the big picture and your career,” Scheppers said. “Looking at the injury and everything, it’s going to take some time. It’s been unfortunate, but I’ll take the experience and learn from it.”

Scheppers began the season as the Rangers’ Opening Day starter after winning a spot in the rotation coming out of spring training. But he struggled through four starts before complaining about elbow discomfort and was shut down for more than a month.

Scheppers returned as a reliever and made four appearances before his latest setback. He and the team don’t believe the transition to the rotation caused the injuries this season.

It might have been the workload Scheppers took on last year. He made 76 relief appearances, tied for third-most among American League relievers and the fifth-most for a pitcher in franchise history.

More injury news

Derek Holland wants to begin a medical rehabilitation assignment and return to the Rangers’ rotation as soon as possible. But club officials aren’t ready to send him out yet after he went through pitchers’ fielding practice exercises on Thursday.

Instead, Holland will continue his rehab by throwing a simulated game Saturday in Texas.

“Not quite full speed, game speed, but a little more of an intense test with the knee,” general manager Jon Daniels said of the sim game. “We’ll have guys bunt on him and run on him and the whole deal.”

Holland hasn’t pitched all year after a fluke accident with his dog forced him to undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee in the off-season. He reiterated once again that he’s waiting for the go-ahead.

Right-hander Alexi Ogando, meanwhile, had reknowned orthopedist James Andrews give a second opinion on his elbow Wednesday. Andrews’ opinion was consistent with team physician Keith Meister’s in that Ogando needed to be shut down three more weeks before resuming a throwing program.

Briefly

• Right-hander Neftali Feliz, who has spent the season at Triple A Round Rock, had thrown five straight scoreless outings going into Thursday. Said Daniels: “He’s throwing well. A candidate to be up when we have a need next.”
• Outfielder/ first baseman Brad Snyder cleared waivers, but has yet to decide whether to accept an assignment to Triple A Round Rock.
• Friday’s starter Nick Tepesch said having extra rest should benefit him going into the game. He’s looking to get back on track after allowing four runs on nine hits over five innings in his last start June 18 at Oakland.